Nursery World - Nursery group's 'open letter' calls for Government action to save sector

More than 100 nursery groups and early years providers have signed an open letter to the Government highlighting the dire situation the sector faces with recruitment at ‘an all-time low’ and settings struggling to survive after years of underfunding.

Many early years settings say they feel like 'the forgotten sector' PHOTO Adobe Stock

Co-ordinated by Cherubs Nurseries, a group of 13 nurseries based in Nottinghamshire, it has so far been signed by more than 120 providers, including nursery groups such as The Old Station Nursery Group, Tops Day Nurseries, Tommies Childcare, Three Little Birds Children’s Nurseries, as well as smaller single-site providers and pre-schools.

Harry Mills, brand officer at Cherubs, told Nursery World, ‘The reason behind the open letter is because we don’t feel that early years is getting the recognition or support it needs - especially coming out of the Coronavirus pandemic.

‘Private providers have been left to fend for themselves and the sector in its current format is no longer sustainable. Disappointingly, I wrote to all our local MPs for the areas that Cherubs Nurseries serve at the end of 2021 - I still have not had a response from any of them, which highlights the fact that they aren’t interested in early years. I really struggle to understand how early years cannot not be a priority - it’s our next generation!’

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